Scrap metal ingenuity: Russians turn bathtubs into sidecars
The Russians continue to be surprised by their use of scrap metal in warfare. We've seen everything that moves being armoured with scrap metal, including storm cyclists, but a motorcycle with a bathtub welded to its side is certainly a novelty. We explore the possible reasons behind this innovation.
The Russians face a shortage of armoured equipment for conducting assaults. Most of it is allocated to regular brigades, leaving little for the so-called operational units meant for so-called "meat assaults".
A few months ago, the Russians were actively using assault motorcyclists. However, riding a motorcycle while simultaneously shooting at the enemy is challenging. For instance, this situation necessitates motorcycles with sidecars to enable a machine gunner to sit.
Below you can see how the Russians tried to create such a two-person motorcycle by welding a bathtub, taken from nearby buildings, onto the motorcycle's frame. The contraption is heavily soot-stained, suggesting that one of the FPV drones likely struck it.
An alternative reason might be to increase load capacity, as the bathtub can accommodate some canned ammunition or, for example, mortar shells or RPG-7 grenade launcher rounds. The Russians have been utilising motorcycles for months, including for front-line logistics.
Advantages and disadvantages of motorcycles in war
Motorcycles, buggies, and electric bikes are practically the only means of transportation over Ukrainian backroads, which in the spring and autumn turn quite literally into swamps.
Their main advantage is speed, making it difficult for artillery to target travellers, but they offer no protection. Encountering an anti-personnel mine can end in disaster, and FPV drones are too fast to escape. It's also noteworthy that petrol-powered motorcycles are easily detectable in thermal imaging and can be heard from kilometres away.
